There has been proposed an electric apparatus mounted on an automobile or the like where an electric circuit is formed by connecting such an electric apparatus with another electric apparatus or a power source device through a wire harness which is formed by binding insulated wires. In this case, the wire harness, the electric apparatus and the power source device are connected to each other by connecting connectors which are mounted on these components.
With respect to these connecters, a crimp terminal which is connected to the insulated wire by pressure-bonding is incorporated in the inside of the connector. A female connector and a male connector which are connected in concave and convex relationship are configured to be engaged with each other by fitting engagement.
Such connectors are used under various environments and hence, there may be a case where unintended moisture adheres to a surface of the insulated wire due to condensation brought about by a change in ambient temperature or the like. There is a drawback that, when moisture intrudes into the inside of the connector along the surface of the insulated wire, a surface of a wire conductor exposed from a distal end of the insulated wire corrodes.
In view of the drawback, there have been proposed various techniques which prevent the intrusion of moisture into a wire conductor pressure-bonded by a crimp terminal.
For example, the water blocking structure of a wire described in Patent Document 1 is configured such that, in a crimp terminal which includes a core wire barrel which pressure-bonds a core wire of the wire, and an insulating cover barrel which pressure-bonds an insulating cover layer of the wire, the core wire barrel and the insulating cover barrel are covered with a heat shrinkage tube together with the insulating cover layer of the wire pressure-bonded on the crimp terminal thus preventing the intrusion of moisture from the insulating cover layer.
However, the water blocking structure of a wire described in Patent Document 1 requires a step of mounting the heat shrinkage tube and a step of heating the heat shrinkage tube. Further, the water blocking structure requires a time for surely shrinking the heat shrinkage tube. Accordingly, there is a drawback that the water blocking applied to the core wire barrel which pressure-bonds the core wire of the wire requires a large number of man-hours.
Further, the heat shrinkage tube is exposed to the outside air and hence, it is difficult to suppress the deterioration or degradation with time, and there is a possibility that the heat shrinkage tube is deformed or damaged so that moisture intrudes into the wire.